Rotary engine.



No. 741,059. PATEN'TED OCT. 1a, 1903. H. MULLEN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 001 19, 1900.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.-

No. 741,059. PATENTED OCT. 13, 1903.

H. MULLEN. ROTARY ENGINE.

APfLIoATmN FILED 0053.19, 1900.

- 5i wan ton lia /Jar Patented October 13, 1903;

HAnKnii Mutt-EN, or SYOAMORE, ittiiiois;

ROTARY EFNGIN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,059, dated October 13, 1903.

Application filed October 19, 1900. Serial No. 33,580., (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARKER MU LLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sycamore, in the county of Dekalb and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of which the following is aspecification. I

My invention relates to rotary engines, and has for its object to produce an enginewhich will be simple, compact, and efficient; and it consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement of parts of the same,-as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, in which, the same reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in each of the views in which they occur, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved engine with one side removed. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View of theengine, and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail views. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view showing parts of the piston and packing-rings and one of the springs bearing on the rings. Fig.7 is a detail sectional view taken'through one of ends 2 arecentrally perforated for the passage of a shaft 5, by means of which power may be transmitted to any desired point. By making the ends convexed the bearings for the shaft which is journaled therein are located at a suflicient distance from each other to give the shaft a better support than could be secured with flat ends.

Secured upon the shaft between the heads or ends is a piston 6, the hub of which may besecured thereto in any desired manner, as by means of a feathered key 7, and the periphery is provided with a. flange 8. flange is provided with perforations 9, preferably arranged diametrically opposite to eachother, and a stem 10 is passed through each perforation, the outer end of which is provided with a head or valve 11. If desired, the outer face of the head may be proa boss-15.

ascrew17.

The

vided with a suitable packing 12, which is adapted. to engage with the inner surface of the, shell 3. A' suitable packing-box 13 may be secured upon the inner face of the flange 8 to prevent the escape of steam around the stem.

The inner end of each stem is preferably formed angular in cross'section and provided with a block orcastin-gl, which fits loosely thereon and is provided upon one side with A roller 16 is loosely mounted upon the boss and held thereon by means of The surface of the roller is adapted to project a slight distance beyond the end of the stem and engage with a cam 18, which fits loosely upon the shaft 5 adjacent to the hub of the piston.

The cam 18 may be rigidly secured against rotation upon the shaft 5 in any suitable mannor-as, for instance, by means of a sleeve 19, the outer end of which is provided with a lug 20, which is secured to the inner face of one of the ends of the cylinder by means of a screw 21. The head or valve at the outer end of the stem is normally forced outward by any suitable means-as, for instance, a spring 22, which bears against the casting 14 and also against a collar 23 upon the stem. The head of the outer end of the stem is preferably seated within a notch or transverse grdove 24: in the outer face of the piston.

Fitting between the piston and each head or end of the cylinder are one or more packingrings 25, which bear against the shell 3 and prevent the escape of steam laterally between the shell and the ends of the cylinder. These rings are forced outward by any suitable means-as,'for instance, by means of bowed springs 26, the ends of which may be slightly curved and bear against the rings at suitable distances around the interior of the shell to make a close-fitting joint. A screw-threaded stem 27 for each spring is secured at one end to the shell in any suitable manner, as by means of a boss or inward projection 28, and.

its other end projects through the spring and is provided with a nut 29, by means of which the tension of the spring may be adjusted. A jam-nut 30 may be used for securing the nut 29 in its adjusted position.

The shell 3 is provided with an inlet 31 upon one side and an exhaust or outlet 32 upon the opposite side, preferably a slight distance past a point diametrically opposite the inlet. the interior of the shell by any suitable meansas, for instance, screws 34and has one end inclined, as at 35, and the other end cut off square and located directly to the rear of the inlet. The exterior of the casing may be provided with any suitable means for supporting it in position, as by means of lugs 36, which project radially therefrom substantially at right angles to the inlet.

In using my improved rotary engine steam is admitted through the inlet-pipe which enters the space between the piston and the casing and also between the abutment and one of the valves, which will force the piston around Within the casing. As soon as that valve passes the outlet the steam behind it will be permitted to escape; but before this point is reached the succeeding valve will have moved .past the square end of the abutment and will close the passage from the inlet to the outlet and will receive the force of the steam entering between it and the abutment. The cam on the shaft at the inner ends of the valve-stems is so arranged that after the valve has passed the outlet the outward pressure upon the valve-stem is removed by permitting the roller to engage with the cut-away portion of the cam, so that when the valve strikes the inclined end of the abutment it can be forced inward without having to overcome the entire'pressure of the spring. However, as soon as the valve passes the square end of the abutment the roller at the inner end is forced upward by the longer radius of the cam and is firmly pressed against the inner face of the cylinder. If there should be any inequalities in the shell, the spring around the valve-stem will permit of the valve adjusting itself to such inequalities without doing injury to the engine.

As above described, it will be seen that my improved engine contains but few parts,which can be readily assembled, and access is easily had to the interior for the purpose of adjustment or repair. If desired, the portion of the cylinder that contains the head can be removed and other changes can be made Without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I reserve the right to make such changes.

By locating the packing-rings between the ends of the piston and the ends of the cylinder end friction is avoided, except the slight amount between the outer edge of the piston and said rings.

Having thus fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rotary engine, a cylinder provided with an inlet and an outlet and means for supporting it in position, a shaft journaled in the ends of the cylinder, a flanged piston upon An abutment 33 is secured uponv and a cam surrounding the shaft, the flange of the piston being perforated and transversely grooved, a piston-head in each groove, the stem of which projects through the opening and its inner end lies adjacent to the cam, a collar upon the intermediate portion of the stem, a block loosely mounted against rotation upon the inner end of the stem, a roller mounted upon one side of the block with its periphery projecting beyond the inner end thereof, a spring upon the stem between the block and the collar to normally force the roller into engagement with the cam, and packing-rings between the ends of the piston and the ends of the cylinder, substantially as described.

2. In'a rotary engine, a cylinder provided with an inlet and an outlet and means for supporting it in position, a shaft journaled in the ends of the cylinder, a flanged piston rigidly secured to the shaft, a sleeve surrounding the shaft adjacent to the hub of the piston, one end of which is provided with a cam and the other end is provided with a projection that is rigidly secured to the end of the cylinder, piston-heads between the piston and the wall of the cylinder, the stems of which project through the flange of the piston and are provided at their inner ends with means for engaging with said cam, and packing-rings between the ends of the piston and the ends of the cylinder, substantially as described. 7

3. In a rotary engine, a cylinder comprising a shell and converted heads, the shell being provided with an inlet and an outlet and the edges of the ends being fiat, a shaft journaled in the ends of the cylinder, a piston upon the shaft, a cam secured to the casing-head and surrounding said shaft, piston-heads in the piston, the inner ends of which are provided with yielding means for engaging with the cam, packing-rings between the ends of the piston and the flat portions of the ends of the cylinder, bowed springs upon the interior of the cylinder with their ends in engagement with the packing-rings, and means for adjusting the tension of said springs, substantially as described.

4:. In a rotary engine, packing-rings between the ends of the piston and the ends of the cylinder, .inwardly extending bolts, a bowed spring upon each bolt with its ends in engagement with said rings, and nuts upon the inner ends of said bolts for engaging with the springs and adjusting the tension there of, substantially as described.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination with the casing, inlet and outlet ports to said casing, and means for supporting the same in position, of apiston-drum mounted upon a shaft journaled in the sides of said casing having openings and recesses on its periphery, piston-heads carried by said drum, partially housed in said recesses, and having their stems projecting through said openings, packing-boxes around said openings, a looselymounted block carrying an antifrietion-roller drum, and bowed springs pressed against said sliding in said stem, a collar on said stem, a rings bya nut engaging threads on a stud prospring between said block and collar, a cam ,jeeting from the easing through said springs.

secured on a sleeve fastened to the casing and HARKER MULLEN. 5 surrounding the shaft; against which said an- Witnesses:

tifrietion-rollers bear, and packing-rings be- S. L. NICHOLS,

tween the sides of the casing and the piston- ELZIE E. ROSE. 

